IzuOcha Week 2020
by 90 Eyes
Summary: A week of prompts dedicated to a couple of cinnamon buns.
1. Hawa-hii

It had only been 3 weeks after their graduation from UA, and the school's most notable hero classes were preparing to enter the workplace as full-fledged heroes. But first, they had to cool down, take time off and take up the UA graduate's tradition of spending some time abroad. Some of the girls from both classes had already been drafting up a few ideas for a little holiday in America, while the boys were considering a trip to either Europe or Australia. Izuku Midoriya didn't care about either option, but he did lean towards America since that was where All Might ran away at a similar age. 

'So many places, so many options, so little time,' he thought to himself, gazing at a heavily sketched map of the world. 'I guess I could go to San Diego again but I've already been there once and it's in the same state as Los Angeles so I can't go to California again but on the other hand, it's Comic-Con, it's always switching things up every year and you never know what they…'  
Before he knew it, he started muttering again, trailing off his train of thought, speaking as he went along.  
'I guess some things never change, huh Deku?' someone said.  
He turned around to find his old friend, Ochako Uraraka.  
'What were you going on about this time?' she asked him.  
'Just wondering where I wanted to go for graduation vacation. All these years, I was too busy focusing on honing and developing my quirk at the time I couldn't find the time to truly settle down.'  
'If that's the case, you better hurry up and make up your mind. You know what they say about all work and no play? Diving straight into your career isn't a good look, especially since you'll be married to the job.'  
'The problem is, I feel like I'm in a tug of war with everyone. Iida's interested in going to Britain, Kirishima and Kaminari want to go to Thailand, Korea or France, Hagakure and Ashido are thinking of Los Angeles. The way they're throwing all these options at me is a bit too much, I don't know if I'll actually end up going with anyone.'  
'I have a better idea. Why don't you and I go wherever we feel like going?'  
'Just the two of us? I thought UA graduates had to go on vacation as a class.'  
'Did anyone strictly say we have to go as a class? No one cares who goes with who, what matters is the journey and location.'  
'Thanks, Ochako. I'm already feeling better, but you haven't told me where you're thinking of going.'  
Uraraka hesitated. She was so caught up in the idea of going abroad for a long time, she had forgotten to make a final decision on the whole thing.  
'To be honest, Deku,' she said. 'I don't know yet.'  
'That's one thing we have in common, I guess,' he said, in mock relief. 'Try not to rush things, everyone's going in their own time.'  
'That's cool. I'll come back when I have an idea.'  
Finishing her sentence, Uraraka slowly backed away and walked out of the room. Sure enough, she decided on Honolulu as the location for their graduation vacation. 

Sometime in early May, which was the best time to jet off to such place according to Momo Yaoyorozu, Midoriya and Uraraka jetted off to Hawaii. The next few days went by so fast; it became pretty hard for both of them to remember what they had done the previous day. What they could remember were the times they went around the city, took advantage of their hotel's amenities, and that time Midoriya had a little encounter with a crustacean friend. They had three weeks to kill, so they figured they might as well spend the rest of their time exploring the state.

On what would be their last night in Honolulu for a while, Uraraka was too busy lying awake in bed. Midoriya wasn't sleeping next to her, but rather he was standing outside the balcony. The hotel balcony had recently become his go-to zone whenever he either found himself in a contemplative mood or just wanted to relax and empty his mind. She never bothered asking him what was up, shrugging it off as just 'Deku being Deku'. This time, she felt they needed to talk, otherwise the consequences of bottling any emotions would be nasty. Kind of like the time she confessed her feelings to him.  
'Deku,' she softly whispered, walking up to his side. 'Deku, are you alright?'  
'Yeah,' he murmured. 'I take it you've never noticed how beautiful the sight from our room is, when the night falls. I just feel like, Honolulu only comes to life after sunset. Almost like Tokyo, or Yokohama for that matter.'  
'Deku, something's wrong with you. I can tell when you're fronting, just come clean with me.'  
'I really am OK, Ochako. If I wasn't, you'd be one of the first to know. I've just been thinking a lot lately. When we leave the city tomorrow morning, the sight I get from our next hotel just won't compare to this one. Granted we'll be back the night before we go home, but what are the chances we come back here? We've only booked this one for the week, I don't think we're allowed to book this place again.'  
'You think too much, Deku. I hear this hotel has certain policies. You just have to assert yourself; after all, that's what a hero would do.'  
'I love how you say things I'd usually say.'  
'I guess part of you has been rubbing off on me since we started school together. Even if you fail, just be glad you can look out this balcony while you still can.'  
'Thanks, babe. Just… thanks.'

As soon as Midoriya thanked her, Uraraka placed her head on his shoulder, eyes partly closed, hands stroking his arm.  
'Sorry if I sound naïve, but is this what honeymooning feels like? A young, loving couple with plenty of time and money on their hands, exploring the world, getting intimate with each other, having tender moments to themselves? Cos it feels like we're on a honeymoon right now.'  
'I don't know, Ochako. I guess it does. Yeah, it does. I forgot if my parents ever went on a honeymoon, but it must've felt like this.'  
'Just remember, Deku. Whatever happens, at least we still have each other.'  
'I love you, babe.'  
'I love you too.' 

The rest of the holiday was devoted to trips and voyages throughout Oahu and Molokai and stops at Kauai and Maui. They even dropped by the Big Island itself. The views they were treated to were just as scenic, grand and beautiful as Midoriya's favourite balcony view back in Honolulu. It truly felt like the young couple were exploring the world, and they didn't even need to jet around the entire globe like they were backpackers from England or something. Alas, all good things must come to an end, and it was time to head back to Japan. At least Midoriya and Uraraka were flying back feeling heavily refreshed. And they also brought a distinct fashion sense along with them. When their flight touched down on Narita Airport, the first thing most passers-by saw of the young ones were their matching aloha shirts, white shorts and sandals. They had already been Hawaiian tourists for 3 weeks, they just had to come back home looking the part. Especially since it wouldn't be too long before their respective debuts on the scene.


	2. Don't Push Yourself

It had been one of those days in the battlefield. Deku had been alerted on the whereabouts of a small crook running around the city centre, mugging and robbing anyone he laid eyes on. He knew this would be no easy battle, particularly since his foe could teleport anywhere and everywhere in the blink of an eye. He wasn't sure if he could take him on by himself. That's why he had his fellow colleagues, Ingenium and Uravity, back him up.

'What happened to Kaminari?' he asked the former, barely keeping up with him. 'Why couldn't he make it?'

'I don't know,' the Engine Hero answered back. 'All I heard from him was that he was being held up by some journalists and cameramen.'

'Couldn't he have told them this was urgent?'

'I should remind you that's he is quite hard to predict.'

The criminal was way too fast for them. Uravity didn't have the speed her colleagues had, so the least she could do was rely on surrounding objects and use them as weapons. Regardless, the three heroes kept following him around. He wasn't the type to slow down or take a break; he just kept throwing them for a loop. Deku and Ingenium managed to get close to him. Their target wasn't willing to go easy on them. He threw all sorts of melee attacks at them, and even dared to have a go at Uravity, who was literally right above him. The battle only lasted just over a minute, but it felt like 20 minutes. Regardless, it all ended when Deku barely incapacitated his opponent and handed him over to a fellow hero, who would seal him in a bubble so he wouldn't dare to escape.

'Fun day at work, huh guys?' Uravity asked her fellow heroes.

'I've seen worse,' said Ingenium.

'That guy was good, I'll give him that,' said Deku, visibly limping and clutching his chest.

'You don't look well, Midoriya. Are you OK?'

'It's just a flesh wound, Iida. I've already been scarred enough as it is.'

'I don't know, it doesn't look like a flesh wound to me.'

Reluctantly, Deku uncovered the area for his friends to see. What they saw was a pretty deep stab wound. Apparently, the criminal took advantage of his quirk to unleash a knife attack on him and possibly Ingenium and neither of them could notice since they were too focused on taking him out. Right after he showed them the wound, he collapsed.

'Deku!' Uravity yelped.

'It will be OK, Midoriya,' Ingenium tried to reassure him. 'We will just call up Recovery Girl or any medical team, and you should be fine.'

'It's nothing serious!' said Deku. 'I can still keep walking, just watch.'

He got back up on his feet and only took less than 10 steps, before collapsing again.

'Deku, this is serious,' said Uravity, anxiously. 'You need some help; we're going to get you some help ASAP. Iida, take him to the hospital and tell everyone this is urgent.'

'I'm on it,' he said as he hoisted his bleeding friend on his back and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

It had been a few days after the villain was apprehended, and Deku had been doing fairly well. His mom had been checking up on him, visiting him from the day she heard her son had been stabbed. His teammates and sidekicks had also come to his bedside, coming up with all sorts of ways to cheer him up. He was due to be discharged in 2 days' time, thus he spent one of his last days packing up. Uravity came around to help him; it helped that her quirk was ideal for such situation. But it wasn't just the thought of packing up that brought her to the hospital.

'You've always been the reckless type, Deku,' she said, gathering a few of his belongings. 'Jumping right into the line of fire, always maxing yourself out, taking on opponents who are too fast for you. You've been like this since we were kids.'

'Isn't that my duty as a hero?' he asked her. 'To put my life on the line to save another, and then some? Everyone's been saying that I possess the true qualities of a hero, so I can't let them down.'

'But still, what happened out there was a close one. That guy back there, he could barely slash you and Iida when you guys were at your optimal speed and yet he still managed to stab you. It's just… got me thinking.'

'About what?'

'What if you end up in another situation like this? Or yet, what if you don't make it out alive? Even you know you barely made it out of this one.'

'Ochako, are you actually scared that I might die sooner?'

'No. I've always been scared, even back in school. I knew you were stronger than almost everyone else, you had the abilities and drive of a superhuman, but at the end of the day, you're still human. I was scared because, you'd just keep pushing yourself until your body can no longer handle the strain, until you just, die in front of me, and then it'd feel like… it'd feel like…'

Uravity had become too overwhelmed with emotion to think of a closing phrase for her sentence, let alone actually finish her sentence. It had been a while since she witnessed Deku have another brush with death, but the severity of his wound was a frightening notion. A frightening notion that kept her awake for over a week. He didn't know that it had become easy for her to imagine life without him.

'It's OK. Just say nothing,' said Deku, embracing her as she started crying on his chest. It was moments like these, the moments when their guards were down, that truly brought the two heroes together. They had become closer than ever, able to empathize with each other. Plus, he'd be back at work sometime after his recovery so it was alright.

'Don't push yourself,' Uravity softly murmured.


	3. Crack of Dawn

Sunday morning. That was the morning in which Midoriya had taken on a new weekly habit: running around Heights Alliance as long as it took for the sun to rise. Since it was still quite cold, he would wear a jacket or coat until his running considerably warmed him up to some degree. As he was so discrete about his actions, none of his classmates were aware of his Sunday escapades. Not even Bakugo, who was already in on the One for All secret. But then the bubble popped, and everything changed.

One particular morning, Midoriya had just finished his run. Normally, he would head straight back to his room and catch up on some sleep, but this running session was really tiring. He had worn himself out so much the first thing he did was slump on the sofa in the salon. A considerable amount of time would pass until he was woken up by the sound of his fellow classmates, who would gather around for some TV, games or even some chilling time. Figuring he had already spent enough time there, he got back up and walked to the kitchen in the hopes of finding a little breakfast snack to re-energise him. As he reached for a small bag of oats, so did someone else.

'Uraraka!' he yelped.

'What's up, Deku?' she asked him, beaming as she did so.

'Oh nothing, just getting these little oats.'

'What's up with you? You look like you've been training and running for 2 hours.'

'What? No, no. I've just been meditating with Todoroki, is all. Apparently, he never told me that he subconsciously activates half of his quirk when he's in a state of serenity.'

'Well then, how do you explain the sweat stains on your shirt?'

'Like I said, Todoroki's subconscious activating his fire side.'

'Yeah right, and in a locked room? In the middle of winter, with windows that aren't thick enough?'

'Well, yes.'

'Deku, do you think I'm stupid? Did you really think I would fall for your excuse, just like that?'

'Look, it's not an excuse, I am not lying! I really did do something with Todoroki, believe it!'

'Never believed it anyway. Now go take your oats and run.'

For the rest of the week, Uraraka had started checking up on Midoriya each morning, waiting for the moment where she would strike oil. Borderline stalking, one might say, but she felt like she had to get to the bottom of it all. On Sunday morning, Midoriya's personal alarm woke him up, springing into action. By this point, Uraraka had already dropped her investigation and instead resorted to looking outside the window in the middle of the night. While this was a habit she had hidden from her classmates, last week's conversations amped it up to 11. Before she could tell herself that Midoriya wasn't lying after all, she just happened to find a solitary figure running around the area. Could it be him? Had she finally done it? There was only one way to find out.

Unbeknownst to the green-haired kid, who had already run a considerable distance from the 1A dormitory, Uraraka was sitting by the steps of the dormitory. Compared to last week, the sun was rising somewhat faster and earlier. Midoriya only stopped running whenever he needed to catch his breath, until the sun was well visible in the horizon, or until he exhausted himself. This week, it was because he tripped and couldn't conjure up what little stamina he had to keep running. After taking a lot of time off, he headed back to the dormitory when he saw Uraraka sitting by the steps.

'I thought… I was the only one... who was up... at this time,' he panted, barely but slowly regaining his breath. 'What… brings you out… here?'

'Oh nothing,' said Uraraka, in a half matter of fact, half playful tone. 'Just wanted to see you at work.'

'But how did you… know that I… would be doing… this sort of thing?'

'I just had a hunch. I've been curious about what it was you did after our little talk in the kitchen. Next thing I know, I wake up in the middle of the night, take a peek outside and just happen to catch you running.'

'I guess… you got me, Uraraka. This is what… I've been doing… the past few weeks.'

'But why would you want to run around the block so early? Couldn't you just do it in the afternoon or better yet, after everyone's up?'

Midoriya sat down next to Uraraka, opting to watch the sunrise with her. By this point, he had managed to regain part of his breath, to the point where he could talk coherently.

'Because I heard that it's best to run before sunrise, and because I thought it would be fun to run for as long as sunrise lasts,' he said, having recovered.

'Oh,' that was her response. Well, part of it. 'I thought your reason would be something along the lines of "the best heroes have top stamina" or some other crap. I know you have an insane drive, but I didn't think I'd hear that from you.'

'I figured that since you've come all this way just to watch me run around the place, maybe you should try it out then while I get to do the watching.'

'As if. I'm miles away from you and some of the other guys. Hell, I still puke from spending all my time in the air.'

Sure enough, Uraraka did give it a try. She didn't go as far as Midoriya did but running 3 laps was an achievement for her. Every other Sunday, the two kids would go running around Heights Alliance together. The reason being that sometimes, you just need to get out a bit and stretch your legs.


	4. Unrestrained Emotion

Yet another school day had ended. Everyone had headed back to their dormitories, with a select few staying behind to clean up the school corridors or helping Lunch Rush with the dishes. For some reason, Midoriya hadn't been feeling himself that day. He just wanted to get through the entire day, run to his room and shut himself away from the world. Uraraka could sense what was up with him and took it upon herself to console him.

She gently knocked his bedroom door, unable to predict any reaction on his part. When she heard no sound, she knocked again before opening the door, stepping inside the room and closing the door.

'Deku,' she softly murmured. Not a single sound could be heard from him.

'If anything happened, just remember I'm there for you,' she said.

'Thanks, but I don't feel like talking right now,' he grumbled.

'That's why I'm here. You've been freaking everyone out with how low you were. Can I get you a drink, just to help you out?'

'Mm-hmm.'

A few minutes later, Uraraka came back with a glass of orange juice. Having gotten to know Midoriya, she learnt that the only way to snap him out of his feelings was through his stomach.

'I know now must be a hard time for you,' she said, as he gingerly sipped his juice. 'So I promise I'll go easy on you.'

'No need,' he said at a pace she could barely hear him.

'What do you mean, no need? I came all this way to talk to you, I gave you a drink, and now you tell me no need? How am I supposed to understand how you're feeling if you'll just keep pushing everyone away?'

Midoriya looked at his half-empty glass, then at Uraraka. He didn't want to discuss his reasons with his friends or mentors. He felt like they wouldn't take the news well. Yet he knew Uraraka wasn't going to give up without a fight.

'I can't help you if you don't let it out,' she said.

He really didn't want to say it, but he knew he had to. One way or another.

'This morning, I had a dream,' he began to speak. 'In this dream, I was blessed with all the knowledge in the world, against my will. I knew everything there was to know about anything.'

'That doesn't sound too bad,' she said, slightly grinning.

'That's just the best part,' he continued, getting up. 'All of a sudden, the skies turned blood red, the trees started melting and worst of all… I saw him.'

'Who did you see? Bakugo? Overhaul? That guy with the hands?'

'It was All Might. I saw him being sucked down by something like quicksand. He was powerless. He couldn't save himself. I tried to save him, but some shadow tackled me and forced me to watch my idol, my mentor, my hero… disappear into the depths of the Earth.'

'I never knew, Deku. On behalf of everyone in 1A, I'm sorry we didn't try to help you sooner.'

'No help would've been worth it. That dream taught me something. I know not everyone can be saved, but if I can't save the man who helped me get to where I am right now, what good will I be in the future? If I just helplessly watch All Might's fate be sealed, there's nothing we can do about it, I don't think I'd let myself live it down.'

Out of nowhere, Midoriya smashed his glass against the table, completely shattering it and spraying juice all over the walls and table. Next thing Uraraka knew, his hand was bleeding, with glass shards sticking out of it.

'It doesn't have to end like this!' she yelled, running to his side. 'You don't have to react this way because of a dream!'

'I have to! All it does is remind me that everything is futile, that you can't fight fate. What happened with Nighteye certainly didn't help me back then.'

'Deku, don't clasp your hand. You'll hurt it even more. Besides, this isn't the way to react to a nightmare.'

'Easy for you to say, Uraraka. You didn't have it bad. For all I know, you probably did less in the Overhaul raid than I did.'

'You may not be lying, but I was affected by it as much as you were. I still have sleepless nights; I still have nightmares. Sometimes, I even cry myself to sleep.'

'I don't see how that makes me feel any better, especially with a broken hand.'

'The point is, there comes a time in life when you will be unable to save someone you love. Whether it's All Might, your mom, or even me, there will be situations beyond our control. You already know that in case you think I'm patronizing you, but just remember this. You can either keep assuming the worst and give up on your dreams, or you can cherish the friendships and relationships you have. It's like that one movie says, tomorrow may not come.'

As soon as Uraraka finished her rant, Midoriya thought of all the people he had crossed paths with. It was messages like these that reminded him that life is worth living, and that if he kept dwelling on a nightmare, he would become his own antithesis. Yet, he was still unsure.

'But what if that nightmare I had was a premonition of sorts?' he asked Uraraka. 'Will I still be able to act on time and save All Might?'

'Who knows? Life is too precious to drive yourself to insanity over a bad dream. You don't get another chance like this, so make good use of your time here. At least you've got friends.'

Uraraka spread four fingers out like a fan. Midoriya would've asked why he did this, only to glance at his glass-filled hand and realise why. Likewise, he spread the fingers on his unscathed hand out and interlocked his fingers with hers.

'Does that feel better, Deku?' she asked him.

'Yeah, I guess,' he said.

'Now let's help out with your hand.'

'Are you sure? I mean, neither of us have experience with pulling glass shards out of human skin.'

'That's why Recovery Girl exists. You think too much.'

'I think too much?'

'You think too much!'


	5. May I Be Your Muse?

Midoriya wasn't exactly the most artistic person in the world. Matter of fact, he was a pretty crap artist. Not that it stopped him from heeding Uraraka's request for a drawing of her in profile.

'Are you only saying it because you saw my drawing of the view from my bedroom window?' he asked, the first time she suggested my idea.

'Errr, no,' she said, trying to hide the doubt in her voice. 'I just thought it would be a good idea, to see you, erm, test out your talents.'

'Uraraka, you know very well that art isn't exactly…'

'I don't care. I just want to pose for someone who isn't Mineta for once.'

'Why me? Couldn't you have gone for, someone like Kaminari?'

'Unfortunately, he wasn't the first person to come to mind. Plus, it wouldn't be bad if you broaden your horizons, Deku. You remember the motto.'

'Ugh, fine.'

Wanting some privacy, Uraraka booked one of the art rooms in the main building, after some heated discussions with Midnight. Midoriya had spent some time waiting for her, with a blank notepad in one hand and a pencil in the other. He kept twirling the pencil around, since it not only kept him going while he was waiting but also because he wouldn't find himself muttering and going off-track. The door opened, and in walked Uraraka, decked out in costume. She had suggested that Midoriya wear his costume as well, just to even things out.

'What do you think, Deku?' she asked him, sitting down on the stool and preparing her pose.

'I think you look… cute as, usual,' he stammered.

'Cute? Is that the best you could say?'

'Look, I was lost for words, OK? What did you want me to say? That you looked as plain and average as Ojiro?'

'Somewhere, Ojiro's feeling the pain of being boring, heh heh.'

'OK, let's get to work. I guarantee that the end result will look crappy though.'

'Do you think I really care?'

About an hour and a half had passed. Most of the kids' time together was wasted on Midoriya ripping out pieces of paper out of frustration or erasing what he had already sketched. Despite his artistic shortcomings, he was still a perfectionist of sorts. Eventually, he managed to produce some fruit, right when Uraraka was getting ready to throw a chair at him.

'Uraraka,' he called out with a low tone. 'Here it is; get ready to laugh.'

He reluctantly and anxiously handed out the notebook, but to her surprise, there were no giggles coming out of her. His sketch of Uraraka wasn't exactly da Vinci-level, but it didn't exactly suck. It helped that he didn't bother with the guidelines and layers.

'Deku,' she said. 'This is… this is-'

'Embarrassing? Crap? Ridiculous?' he asked in rapid-fire succession. 'It's like I said, I'm not really that great at art, but when you think about it, I suppose I could've improved my artistic skills back then since everybody told me that it would be unlikely for someone like me to become a hero and I guess I was stubborn because I didn't listen to them, I was too concerned with…'

'Look, I think you did a great job with this one!' she yelled out in the hopes of shutting him up.

'…especially Kacchan, who probably wanted noth- wait, what?'

'I like how this came across.'

'Yeah, but it looks like something a 12-year old would draw.'

'Would a 12-year old capture the essence and attitude of their muse the same way you captured mine? Predictably, the face is a bit off but the rest of it looks fantastic. Even the shading's on point.'

'I don't know. I just did what I could.'

'Stop selling yourself short. If it was up to you, we wouldn't be here right now. You came out of this as long as you let your inhibitions go. It looks splendid.'

Out of gratitude and appreciation, Uraraka pecked a kiss on his lips. All he could do was rub his neck and blush with his eyes closed.

'Change of mind,' he said, smiling. 'I actually think it isn't that bad.'

'That's more like it.'


End file.
